On opening day, Austin Hays achieved a major league first. He had the ability to dodge the distinction.
After Orioles third baseman Ramón Urías was hit by a pitch in Baltimore’s March 30 season opener against the Boston Red Sox, Hays, due up next, gave his teammate time to collect himself. But those few extra seconds came back to bite the Orioles outfielder as he became the first hitter called for a pitch clock violation under Major League Baseball’s new timer system, beginning his at-bat with an 0-1 count.
Hays, though, could have prevented that automatic strike. Once per plate appearance, hitters can call timeout, resetting the clock to avoid the penalty or simply to afford themselves time to think through what the opposing pitcher might do next.
